Lock device for binder



Aug. 23, 1966 H. LA FLEUR 3,267,940

LOCK DEVICE FOR BINDER Filed Aug. 17, 1964 INVENTOR.

A TTOR/VEYS.

n Basra-t Patented August 23, 1956 3,267,940 LOCK DEVICE FOR BINDER Hector La Fleur, 4527 N. Damen Ave, Chicago 25, Ill. Filed Aug. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 389,851 2 Claims. (Cl. 1238) This invention relates generally to binders for catalogs, directories, telephone books or the like, and more particularly, relates to a novel construction for a lock or latch device for binders of the character described to prevent and/or discourage unauthorized removal of the publication bound therein.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a lock device for binders of the character described which militates against removal of the publication from the binder to which it is attached by preventing access to the lock except with a suitable blade-like tool.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a lock device for binders of the character described which is comprised of a short metal strip of right angle configuration pivotally secured on the support or base plate of the binder, said pivotal member being movable to a locking position adjacent an upstanding ear provided at one end of said base plate and arranged between said ear and the publication bound in the binder so that the lock is substantially hidden from view and prevents the publication clamping means employed from being disengaged from said ear for holding the publication in the binder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a binding lock of the character described which is so situated in its locking position on the binder as to be unable to be manipulated manually with the human finger albeit requiring a blade-like tool to be inserted into engagement with said latch to move the same to an unlocking position.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a novel lock for a binder of the character described which is easy and economical to assemble to the base or support plate of the binder; which is comprised of a simple metal member shaped to suitable size for functioning as the lock of the invention; and which is capable of being used with many diflerent types of binders.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become apparent as the disclosure evolves which includes a preferred embodiment of the invention described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one form of binder having the novel lock device embodying the invention installed thereon.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the binder of FIG. 1 installed on a binder cover for a catalog, telephone directory or the like.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken medially through and along the longitudinal axis of a second form of binder having the lock device embodying the invention installed thereon.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken transversely through the binder of FIG. 3 but with the publication removed and the lock device embodying the invention in locking position.

Referring now to the drawing, the reference character 29 represents generally a binder of well-known construction for attaching publications such as, large catalogs, telephone books, directories, or the like to a binder cover. The binder 20 has the lock or latch device embodying the invention installed thereon which is designated generally by the reference character 22. The lock device 22 is capable of being installed on a second form of binder designated 24 in FIG. 3. Other binder structures also can be used for realizing the advantages of the lock device 22.

The binder 20 comprises a support or base plate or bracket 26 of channel shape which is intended to be secured to the backbone 28 of a binder cover 30 such as partially shown in FIG. 2. The support bar 26 preferably is made of flat metal stock of suitable length to fit the binder cover 30 to which it is to be attached for holding a particular size of publication. Said bar 26 has upstanding ears 32 and 34 at opposite ends thereof respectively between which the publication is to be secured. The car 34 has an elongated clamping member comprising a rod or wire 38 of suitable length pivotally secured through the hole 39 by means of the the looped end 40 of said clamping wire. The opposite car 32 has a vertically oriented keyhole shaped slot 42 therein and the reduced dimension end 43 of the slot 42 is in closer proximity to the upper edge 44 of said ear 32. The wire 38' has a right angle bend or flange 45 at its opposite end which is longer than the portion 43 of slot 42.

As seen from FIG. 2, the bar 26 is suitably secured in place on the spine or backbone 28, such as by a suitable rivet 46 used at spaced apart locations along'the length thereof. A catalog or directory such as designated 48 in FIG. 3 is intended to be placed across the bar 26 with the wire 38 first displaced from between the ears 32 and 34. The book or catalog 48 is so arranged in open condition on the plate 26 between said cars 32 and 34 and the wire 38 is inserted in the center between the divided pages and then flexed to foreshorten the wire 38 so that the bent end of flange 45 can be inserted into the keyhole shaped slot 42 to secure a catalog in the binder. Understandably, the wire 38 is longer than the distance between ears 32 and 34.

In this condition, it is very simple to remove the publication 43 from the binder merely by pushing the bent end 45 of the wire 38 back through the keyhole slot 42. To avoid such unauthorized tampering and/ or theft of the catalog, I provide the novel lock device 22 embodying the invention.

Said lock device 22 comprises a short strip of rectangular flat metal, having a flat segment or leg portion 50 provided with a right angle flange 52 upstanding at one end thereof. The flange 52 is shown with a curved upper edge 54 in FIG. 1, however, the edge 54 also may be flat. The opposite end of the portion 50 is pivotally secured medially on said bar 26 opposite the slot 42 by means of a suitable rivet 56. The rivet 56 is located spaced from the ear 32 so that in the closed position of the latch 22, the outside face of flange 52 will abut or be in close proximity to the inside face 58 of ear 32 and in registry with slot 42.

The height of the flange 52 is such as to reach adjacent the smaller dimension end 43 of the keyhole slot 42. Thus, with the latch 22 moved to a locking position opposite slot 42, such as shown in solid outline in FIG. 2 and in phantom outline in FIG. 1, the flange 52 will subtend the clamping wire of 38 and prevent the wire 38 from being flexed so that end 45 cannot be passed back through the slot 42.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the binder 24 employs a base or support plate designated 26' which is identical to the base or support plate 26. In addition, secured to the underside of the base plate 26, as by rivets 60, is a U-shaped plate 62 having the right angle flanges 64 at opposite ends thereof which extend downwardly normal to the plate 26'. The depending flanges 64 are rounded at their extremities 66 to permit a rocking movement of the binder 24 in its installed condition. For instance, the binder 24 can be secured to a suitable cover having openings through which the flanges 64 can be passed and the binder secured in place by a suitable wire, not shown, which is engaged through the opening 68 in said flanges 64 aligned one with respect to the other for accepting such a clamping wire. Overlying the opposite or upper surface of the base plate 26, is an elongate, semi-cylindrical plate 70.

In FIG. 3, book 48 is shown locked in place on the binder. The latch 22 is shown in a locking position at the right-hand end of FIG. 3 next adjacent the car 32'. It can be noted in this view that the space '72 between the upstanding flange 52 and the side edges 74 of the pages 76 of the book, is sufficiently small so as to prevent a person from inserting a finger into said space 72 for engaging the flange 52 to move same to an unlocked position out of registry with the keyhole shaped slot 42'. On the other hand, the lock 22 is readily moved by means of a narrow blade-like tool, such as a key or pen knife or screwdriver, which easily can be inserted into the space '72. It might be pointed out that in FIG. 3, said space 72 has been exaggerated in width to highlight the advantage of the invention because the pages 76 of the book generally reach closer adjacent the flange 52 substantially hiding the same from a side or top view thereof.

It will thus be appreciated, that the lock 22 is a very simple, yet, effective means for preventing unauthorized tampering with or removal of the publication 48 from the binder. The lock 22 is economical to manufacture from readily available strip metal and is simple to bend to form the right angle upstanding flange 52. In addition, it is a very versatile type of latch because it can be used on a great number of different binder constructions which employ a base or support plate of the general character represented by the reference character 26 either in conjunction with the binder 20 or the binder 24 or some other form of binder.

It is believed that the invention has been described in sufiicient detail to enable same to be understood and practiced in all of its ramifications. The invention has been particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto in language intended to be broadly construed commensurate with the contribution to the arts and sciences made thereby.

What it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a binder of the character described which has a channel shaped bracket having a pair of upstanding ears connected by a flat plate for supporting a catalog thereon between said ears, an elongated clamping wire p-ivotally secured at one end thereof to one of said ears and being longer than the distance between said cars, a hook on the second end of said wire adapted to reach beyond said second car, said second ear having a slot formed therein, said slot having a narrow portion for receiving said hook end of the wire therethrough only with accompanying foreshortening of the wire and a wider portion, and a lock device comprising a relatively flat segment having an upstanding flange portion, said lock device being pivotally secured on said plate next adjacent said slot for movement on a pivot axis perpendicular to the plane of said flat plate to a lock position where said upstanding flange is juxtaposed said second car and said slot, and said segment is parallel to and in contact with said flat plate, said upstanding flange being of a height to extend from said flat plate to substantially cover said wider portion of said slot and subtend said wire whereby to prevent foreshortening of the wire, said lock device being pivoted to a release position with the lock offset from said fiat plate and said slot to permit the clamping wire to be released from said second ear by a foreshortening movement of said wire.

2. A binder as described in claim 1 in which said lock device comprises a right angle metal strip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,051,453 1/ 1913 Roedde 129-38 1,147,698 7/1915 Barrett 129-38 1,327,186 1/1920 Anderson 12938 1,767,978 6/ 1930 Haskin 281-19 1,877,831 9/ 1932 Franz 129-38 2,016,588 10/1935 Bloore et a1 129-38 FOREIGN PATENTS 610,125 12/1960 Canada.

65,754 2/ 1943 Norway.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A BINDER OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED WHICH HAS A CHANNEL SHAPED BRACKET HAVING A PAIR OF UPSTANDING EARS CONNECTED BY A FLAT PLATE FOR SUPPORTING A CATALOG THEREON BETWEEN SAID EARS, AN ELONGATED CLAMPING WIRE PIVOTALLY SECURED AT ONE END THEREOF TO ONE OF SAID EARS AND BEING LONGER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID EARS, A HOOK ON THE SECOND END OF SAID WIRE ADAPTED TO REACH BEYOND SAID SECOND EAR, SAID SECOND EAR HAVING A SLOT FORMED THEREIN, SAID SLOT HAVING A NARROW PORTION FOR RECEIVING SAID HOOK END OF THE WIRE THERETHROUGH ONLY WITH ACCOMPANYING FORESHORTENING OF THE WIRE AND A WIDER PORTION, AND A LOCK DEVICE COMPRISING A RELATIVELY FLAT SEGMENT HAVING AN UPSTANDING FLANGE PORTION, SAID LOCK DEVICE BEING PIVOTALLY SECURED ON SAID PLATE NEXT ADJACENT SAID SLOT FOR MOVEMENT ON A PIVOT AXIS PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF SAID FLAT PLATE TO A LOCK POSITION WHERE SAID UPSTANDING FLANGE IS JUXTAPOSED SAID SECOND EAR AND SAID SLOT, AND SAID SEGMENT IS PARALLEL TO AND IN CONTACT WITH SAID FLAT PLATE, SAID UPSTANDING FLANGE BEING OF A HEIGHT TO EXTEND FROM SAID FLAT PLATE TO SUBSTANTIALLY COVER SAID WIDER PORTION OF SAID SLOT AND SUBTEND SAID WIRE WHEREBY TO PREVENT FORESHORTENING OF THE WIRE, SAID LOCK DEVICE BEING PIVOTED TO A RELEASE POSITION WITH THE LOCK OFFSET FROM SAID FLAT PLATE AND SAID SLOT TO PERMIT THE CLAMPING WIRE TO BE RELEASED FROM SAID SECOND EAR BY A FORESHORTENING MOVEMENT OF SAID WIRE. 